Begun and Ended in Blood
by Red Warrior
Summary: How Greil and Elena met, what their life was like together and how it was brutally brought to an end.
1. His job

**_Disclaimer: _**I hope one day I will walk along the street and see something in a shop. Something small, rectangular, and with the following label: "Fire Emblem, Greil's past"... I'll stop dreaming now. Enjoy!

Note: I _know _Greil isn't supposed to know Petrine. I just want it to be that way, what is fanfiction for anyway? XD

**Begun and Ended in Blood**

**How it all started…**

It was yet another end of a peaceful summer day in Daein. In this late afternoon, peasants were casually chatting as they walked around their fields, watching over their farming before retiring to their houses. Cereals were to be harvested and stocked soon, before the summer storms came around, and many a horse would produce an heir next month.

The farmers only stopped talking to salute four horsemen who happened to ride that way. The little group waved back before resuming their calm walk along the path. They were known of all, their names were famous all over Daein. They had been chosen by the King to be his four lieutenants a couple of years ago, and were given the title of Rider. The Four Riders of Daein. Some said they weren't human, and others thought they were just the best warriors to have ever lived on Tellius. Some respected them because of their strenght, and others feared them for the same reason.

But all in all, the people of Daein liked them. The Riders worked to protect them and although they were considered as nobles, they willingly mingled with people and could often be found in small villages on their rides across the country. They were pillars of strenght, and whenever they were around everyone felt at ease.

"Hey stop," one of the Riders spoke up, stopping his mount. He turned his upper body so he could look behind him, his deep blue eyes scanning the path. He sighed. "Let him catch up."

The nearest horseman stopped too and groaned, annoyed. "Gawain, why did you have to take him along?" he asked, whining. His mount, a stallion of the same vivid chestnut as the man's hair and eyes, neighed as if to agree. "He's slowing us down, you should have left him at the barracks."

"He's my apprentice, Tauroneo, he'll never learn anything if I leave him at the barracks all the time," the one called Gawain retorted. "Besides, I promised him he would come with us for once, he wanted to." When Tauroneo groaned again, Gawain threw him a dark glance. "I admit that it seems strange, for once you're not the one slowing us down."

His friend growled angrily as the two other riders chuckled. The first had long deep green hair, and was in fact a woman. Her smirk was clearly amused as she toyed with her reigns and ran her fingers through her black mare's mane. "I totally agree with Gawain, don't you, Bryce?" she asked the other horseman who had stopped next to her.

"You bet I do," the young man nodded as he ran a hand through his dark hair, grinning in a way that made his chestnut eyes light up.

"Thank you Bryce," Tauroneo grumbled. "And thank you, Petrine."

"I live to serve, my lord," the woman mocked.

"Wait up!" a panting voice was heard. Gawain turned his head to see his apprentice, a young sixteen years old boy, running up to them. He stopped and fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath so he could resume speaking. "I... can't... catch up... ugh..."

The Rider sighed as he looked down at the blond teenager gasping on his knees. He never knew why he had agreed to take an apprentice, it just occured, and Korgan had been with him for a few months now, but there still were things he didn't understand aboutthe boy. Gawain wondered if his children would ever be that complicated. "Really, Korgan, why didn't you take a horse?" he said.

"I don't know how to ride," Korgan admitted, his deep blue eyes downcast.

Gawain sighed and patted his horse's back behind the saddle. "Just hop on, we can't have you running around and spitting your lungs on the ground. Try not to fall off."

"Thanks!" Korgan wasted no time and hopped behind the saddle. He grabbed one of Gawain's belts for support and prayed the Goddess he wouldn't fall off like last time. It had been rather... embarassing.

Petrine chuckled but suddenly grew serious once again. Her gaze pierced over Gawain's shoulder and settled upon something in the distance. "Is that smoke?" she asked as she motionned to a high tower of black smoke behind a hill. "Where could it be coming from? It can't be a fire, there are no trees over there."

Tauroneo came to a stop next to her and stared at the smoke. "It is coming from the Fronter Lands," he muttered.

Gawain cringed. The Fronter Lands were, as their name stated, lands that were situated at Daein's fronter with Begnion. The latter, however, had always claimed the lands as his, although they were the former's, and so an endless war was fought for those mere plots of land. The Daein King was willing to settle matters and share the lands, but Begnion wanted them all. Which got him to wonder... "Wait, didn't the King say something about negociating today?" he asked out loud.

"Yes," Bryce nodded, "I even saw some generals and the Count of this land leave this morning. They were heading there to negociate with Begnion's generals."

"I don't think they are just lighting a campfire," Petrine growled dangerously. She tugged at her reigns so her mount turned around. "Let's see what is happening there." Without wanting for her partners to answer, the violet-eyed woman nudged her horse along the path.

"Hey wait!" Bryce called as he sent his own mount running. Tauroneo was quick to do the same, leaving Gawain with no other choice but follow.

"Hold on," he advised Korgan as he nudged his horse into a fast gallop. The teenager settled his jaw and held onto Gawain's waist as the mount ran and finally caught up with the other Riders. "Just what do you intend to do?" he shouted at Petrine, whose horse was galloping next to his. "We are not supposed to be there! Negociations are none of our business!"

"Just shut up, Gawain, and forget the orders for once!" Petrine shot back.

"Fine! But when the King asks what we were doing there, I'm not the one doing the talking!" the dark-haired Rider snarled.

"I swear Gawain, you sound like you have a spear stuck up your a-"

"Hey, lovebirds, I don't want to interrupt anything but we are nearly there!" Tauroneo yelled at them.

Indeed, the pillar of dark smoke seemed to be coming from behind the next hill. The Riders pulled their mounts to a stop and hopped down. Korgan fingered the empty saddle nervously, wondering if he should do the same. "Can I-" he began.

"No, you're staying there and keeping watch over the horses," Gawain ordered. "This might be dangerous."

Korgan sighed and reluctantly got off of the horse to grab the reigns. The black stallion's muzzle rubbed his cheek and the boy grinned, ruffling the perfectly-trimmed mane. He hoped one day he would have a horse too, and why not be a Rider like his master was? Gawain was the strongest man he had ever met, and even though he hadn't managed to defeat him – or even touch him with a sword – he was sure he would be just as strong one day. Korgan would put all the hard training and practice to good use and make Gawain proud.

Meanwhile, the Riders were making their way down the hill. They could see clearly where the smoke was exactly coming from now; a heap of grey material next to a small house, which door was wide open. It was too dark to see inside, but Gawain guessed there was nobody home.

"It doesn't look like leaves," Tauroneo noticed, looking over at the burning heap.

"Well it doesn't smell like it either," Bryce added as he sniffed. He made a face. "Ugh, it's putrid! I think I'm going to throw up."

"Go away," Petrine grunted, disgusted, as she walked away from Bryce whose face was turning a little green. She was nearing the shapeless heap now, Tauroneo right behind her.

Gawain's attention had been caught by something else; some trees in the nearby woods seemed to have things hanging onto their branches. It looked like bags, big bags, but then it was too dark to be absolutely sure. Maybe they were just broken branches, a recent storm's work, that was all. Gawain wasn't sure, he had a bad feeling about this, so he made his way over to the suspicious-looking trees.

At the same time, Bryce decided to inspect the house so he would avoid being near the vomiting smell of the burning heap. He pushed the partly opened door all the way and walked in. He could see nothing in the dark, so the brown-haired Rider searched for a potential opening to get some light in. A few seconds later, he caught sight of a window and got to work to try and open it in the dark.

In a few seconds' time, Petrine and Tauroneo reached the heap, Gawain found himself under the trees and Bryce managed to open the window, and their four audible gasps could be heard as one.

Petrine stumbled back and collided with Tauroneo's chest, not even registering as she grabbed her friend's forearm for support. The taller man was still staring at the mass, mouth slightly agape as his brain slowly acknowledged and accepted the scene. Those were no leaves, no branches, and the two Riders watched in morbid astonishment at the half-charred remains of what should have once been human bodies. Tauroneo gagged when he noticed the bodies were all missing their heads, and the only thing still clearly visible was the Daein's symbol on those whose clothes hadn't burned yet. Soldiers, all of them.

Gawain also took a few steps back, believing at first his eyes were deceiving him. Surely, it wasn't Count Erdick of the Fronter Lands hanged to a branch by a rope around his neck. And those weren't three powerful generals of Daein either, he was just seeing things. _Ashera's blood... this can't be true... this is impossible... _Dead, they were dead. Their mouths twisted in an ultimate grunt of pain and their necks bending at anormal angles. Their ankles had been tied together as well as their wrists so they wouldn't struggle much and suffer a slow and horrible death. _What... what the hell happened here... _

Gawain turned heels and ran back to his comrades; half-way to the heap he met with Tauroneo and Petrine who looked equally shaken. "They hanged them!" he nearly cried out. "They hanged the count and the generals!"

"And they killed the soldiers who were with them!" Petrine said, her voice trembling with rage. "Those are their bodies burning!"

"I can't believe it," Tauroneo muttered.

"Over there!" Bryce called from the house's door. "Come here! Quick!"

The three Riders strode as fast as they could to the house and there they saw a look on Bryce's face that gave away that he too had discovered something very bad. In his urge to get some light in so his partners could see better, Bryce broke the window and late afternoon light poured in.

If Petrine and Tauroneo wondered where the heads of the soldiers were, then their question had just been answered. The ten heads had been nailed to a wall, two lines of bleeding horror. Something was written on the wall, and Gawain reluctantly stepped nearer to be able to read. The words had been written with blood – the soldiers' obviously – and said: _Begnion will rule over. _

"They are not even trying to hide it," the Rider growled as he returned to his friends' side. "They are even claiming responsability."

"What are we going to do?" Bryce asked quietly, frightened as much as he was furious.

Tauroneo crossed his arms. "This is war they seek. I say, let's give them what they want! Let's get rid of them so we can have peace!"

"This is exactly what they expect us to do," Gawain shook his head. "Whereas it may not be as powerful, Begnion's army is bigger than ours. We'd soon be outnumbered and defeated, this is something we can't risk."

Tauroneo and Bryce stared at Gawain as if he were mad. "Are you out of your mind? We can't leave what they did unpunished!"

"I agree, we have to avenge our comrades!"

"You two shut up!" Petrine ordered. "Gawain is right, we can't run head first into this without some thinking before! Let's head back to Nevassa and inform the King."

A Rider was going to speak up when a clanking noise was heard. Gawain drew his sword and Tauroneo brought his silver spear up. The noise had come from the door; was one of Begnion's soldiers still here? If that was the case, he wouldn't live long enough to recognize the Riders of Daein.

As soon as he saw the shadow of the person standing in the doorway, Gawain tensed up and raised his sword. "Come out, whoever you are!" he shouted.

The man did. Upon seeing the face of the intruder, though, Gawain put his sword away and ran to the door. "Korgan!" he said sharply. "What are you doing here?"

The blond teenager didn't answer, for his eyes were glued to the heads on the wall, slightly widened. The young man barely registered the Rider had spoken to him, focused on the blood and torn flesh exposed so obviously for everyone to see, and his legs began shaking.

"Korgan!" Gawain tried again, grasping his apprentice's shoulders.

Korgan was thrown out of his thoughts violently, so violently in fact that he believed somebody was attacking him. "No!" he yelled as he tried to punch Gawain, but to no avail. The well-built horseman took hold of Korgan's upper arms and half-pulled, half-dragged him outside and behind the house so they were out of sight of both the heap of bodies and the hanged generals. "Let me go! No!"

"Calm down, Korgan, it's me!" Gawain said as he shook the boy a little. The young man finally recovered from shock and stared up at his master, breathing heavily. "That's better, now tell me what you were doing here? I told you to stay with the horses!"

"I... you weren't coming back so I decided to... Goddess what happened here," Korgan stammered, his mind a swirl of emotions. He hung onto Gawain's forearms because he didn't trust his legs right now and didn't want to fall to the ground. "They... were supposed to negociate... how could they kill them... how could they..."

"It is what is called war, Korgan," Gawain answered softly, or at least he hoped he sounded reassuring to the shaken boy. "Don't worry, they are gone, and something is going to be done about it. Now go back to the horses, we are coming soon."

Korgan shakily nodded and started off uneasily up the hill. Gawain followed him with his eyes until the boy was out of sight and sighed. He really didn't have to see that; sure, sooner or later, he would have been confronted to this sort of sight, but later had been until then a more appealing solution.

"If war can't be avoided," Gawain thought out loud as his three friends exited the house, "then war it will be."


	2. Her village

**I love Greil. And I love Elena. It's only normal I love GreilxElena. Weehee, I can do math! **_**  
**_

_**Chapter Two**_

"So, when and where is the battle going to be held?" Korgan asked tiredly when the Four Riders got within hearing range.

"Who said we were going to battle?" Tauroneo answered casually as he walked past, his hands shoved down his pockets.

"Well, let's see." Korgan counted on his fingers. "This was a meeting between Daein and Begnion, I saw Begnion Generals ride away shouting triumphally, and you four are starting to creep me out with your dirty looks. Is this enough?"

Gawain sighed heavily and patted his horse's neck. "You guessed right," he said simply, but Korgan caught the meaning behind those words. War had been declared. Begnion wanted those lands, but King Runtar wouldn't give them up. Not that he wanted to keep the lands to himself, far from it: he just didn't want to let the people who lived there in Begnion's clutches.

_Our King is too kind, _Gawain thought as he pushed the bit into place in his mount's mouth. _If it were anyone else, war would have already been declared months ago. That or those lands would have been given to Begnion long ago. _Lost into thoughts, he then noticed his pupil giving him a strange look. "What's the matter?" the knight asked.

"The harness… why are you putting it on Rakham?" Korgan inquired. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Actually, we were asked to go to the Frontier Land to make sure Begnion won't try to attack it while we get ready for war," Gawain explained as he saddled his stallion. He put his pack behind the saddle, and tied an axe to it with one of the many ropes hanging from the seat. His blessed sword, Ragnell, was as usual in its sheath and tied across his back. "We have to leave now in order to reach the Lands by nightfall, we've got no time to waste."

Korgan nodded frantically. "Agreed, master! Just give me ten seconds!" The blond-haired young man turned around and began to run off when Gawain grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Ugh! What was that for, sir?"

"You're not coming, Korgan. This is far too dangerous for a young apprentice such as you. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse. You are staying here."

Korgan's eyes widened. "What! Why in the name of the Goddess would I get hurt! No, please no, master! Let me come with you! I'll be quiet, I won't bother you or Bryce or Petrine, and even Tauroneo!" the young one pleaded.

But Gawain just shook his head. "Too much danger. Besides, we won't be gone for a very long time, just use this as a chance to improve your skills and surprise me when I come back and train with you." When Korgan pouted, the knight smiled a bit. "I heard you made acquaintance with the King's youngest son last month. Why don't you train with him, or just hang out like friends?"

"Ashnard's not my friend," the teenager retorted. "He creeps me out. Having him as a training partner wasn't my choice: I knew he was one year older than me, and he was taller and broader too. I got beaten to a bloody pulp, no more for me please. The King can have him, I'm fine with that."

Gawain chuckled and patted the young man's head. "Then go to your friends."

Korgan sighed. "I don't have friends, master. They're afraid."

"What are they afraid of?" Gawain blinked.

"They fear you. They say if we ever quarrel, I'll ask you to murder them." Korgan's gaze lowered to the ground. "They don't believe me when I say it's not true."

Gawain crouched down in front of his pupil. "Listen, this is something we'll have to work on when I come back. I just want you to understand I can't have you standing in the middle of a battle all alone. I know, I know," he added when Korgan opened his mouth to reply, "you know how to fight. You are a good fighter. But this is war, Korgan, I'd like to go on two or three less dangerous missions with you before that. We'll get one as soon as I come back, is that all right?"

"I guess… But still I don't like being left behind."

"Who does?" Gawain smiled up at his apprentice. "I've been training you for over a year now, and I care about you. I'd rather leave you behind for a few days than forever." He patted Korgan's head and rose to his feet. "Well, we should get going soon. When I come back, I want to be told all about how you kicked Ashnard's butt, all right?"

Korgan laughed. "No problem."

Gawain nodded and led Rakham to the other Riders. Bryce was having problems with his saddle as usual, and Tauroneo was busy making fun of him.

"Are Gawain and I the only sane ones here?" Petrine sighed as she shoved Bryce away and strapped up the saddle herself. "You big-handed apes really don't have a clue. Where would you three be without me?"

"In Heaven," Tauroneo grinned, leaning casually against his horse.

"Love you too, sweety," the woman retorted as she mounted her black mare.

Gawain was already waiting at the door of the stables. His jet black stallion was tapping his front hooves against the ground, clearly impatient, and kept shifting his weight. The tall knight lowered his hand to stroke his mane and turned to his fellows. "Would you please hurry up a little? We have to get there by nightfall, and it's almost nine."

"Can it, Gawain," Petrine growled as she pulled to a stop next to him. "Don't make me take back what I said earlier."

"Wouldn't even dream of it."

"Good boy. Now what's taking you so long, you rodents!" Petrine hissed at the remaining two Riders. "We have to get there by nightfall! It's already nine! Why are you trailing behind! You really want me to chew you two out!"

Gawain shook his head, amused, as the two men scurried off to their mounts. Petrine could be scary enough to make the best fighter wet his pants, if she really wanted to.

* * *

The day long trip went well – minor fighting and bickering took place. Mainly, it had been Tauroneo who had kept on making sneaky comments on how Bryce was always staring at Petrine, and asking if he could be the best man at the wedding among other things. Luckily Bryce had remained silent, and Tauroneo finally stopped when Petrine threatened to shave his head when he was sleeping.

Gawain was leading the way. They had been travelling all day, not stopping for a single break, and his horse was getting tired of galloping through the plains. The knight really couldn't blame his mount; given how sore his butt felt from hitting the saddle, the road had been quite bumpy indeed.

"I swear, if I don't see this forsaken village in less than ten minutes, I stop and sleep right on the spot," Bryce whined, and his horse neighed as if to agree with him.

"You sound quite pathetic for one of the Four Steadfast Riders of Daein," Tauroneo snorted.

"Because you think you're any better?" the other man growled. "Mr. _I'm-the-oldest-so-I-can-say-whatever-the-hell-I-want_? Who do you think you are?"

"The oldest of the bunch, now that you mention it," Tauroneo smirked, holding the reins with one hand and scratching his nose with his free one, feeling smart. "Do I need to remind you that you're the youngest, therefore the most _inexperienced _of us?" The emphasis on the hated word was done on purpose.

Bryce growled; a whole day on horseback, no lunch, no break, and now he had to stand this moron's comment? Like hell! "I'll tell you what, you… you…"

"You what? Lost your tongue already, kid?" Tauroneo grinned smartly.

Bryce's anger colored his cheeks a nice shade of red and he began growling insults at the other Rider. Lost as they were in their argument, neither had noticed they had just stepped into the village. Several faces were looking up at them quizzically; after a few seconds, the two men realized they were being watched, and stopped bickering altogether to shift nervously atop their horses.

"Um… hello?" Bryce began, his features settling into a nervous smile. When finally people just went back to whatever they had been doing before the Riders' arrival, the young man looked around and realized only Tauroneo was standing beside him. "Where do you reckon Petrine and Gawain have gone?" he asked.

"Like I would know," Tauroneo shrugged. "They were right behind us the entire time… ah!" The knight finally spotted Gawain and Petrine; they had dismounted and tied their horses to a barrier to unload their packs. "Guys!" he called, nudging his stallion their way. "Why didn't you warn us? We made fools out of ourselves back there!" Bryce nodded furiously to show he agreed with what Tauroneo was saying.

Gawain shrugged. "You were exchanging sweet words of love, I didn't feel like cutting in. Besides, making fools out of yourselves is something you're used to." The blue-eyed Rider spoke again before his friends could snap at him. "I'll find a stable for the horses. Bryce, go find some food and Tauroneo, go find us rooms at any inn that looks good to you."

Tauroneo made an annoyed "hmph" and jumped down his horse. "And in that dream of yours, do you want a stuffed pony too?" he growled, pushing his reins into Gawain's open palm. "I'll try to find rooms, but don't complain like that time in Crimea…"

Petrine crossed her arms over her chest. "Tauroneo, the sheets were rotting and there were at least ten rats in there…"

"Those weren't rats, they were mice. Anyway, I get the idea," he added hurriedly when he saw Petrine frown angrily; he had forgotten her hate for the smelly critters. "I'll try."

Gawain put his pack down on the ground beside Petrine's. He then walked past his friends, leading the four horses by the reins. "By the way, be careful of what you might say," he warned. "Some people here are from Begnion, so don't say anything harsh about them, alright?"

"Okay, I won't say anything bad about a state which strength resides in an army of flying pony-riding girls , and which happens to be the reason why we're here in the first place," Tauroneo groaned. "We spent the day riding, Gawain, cut me some slack will you."

Gawain nodded and tugged gently on the reins to urge the horses forward. He had told Petrine to wait for Tauroneo with the packs, so the two of them could bring their supplies in their rooms. So the young woman sat on the barrier to wait for her colleague to come back.

So the broad-shouldered Rider was leading their mounts through the city, looking for a stable. The four horses were so tired from their trip they just followed him obediently, knowing that when Gawain was involved, there was always a nice stable, a large share of hay and a big bucket of water waiting for them in the end. The sharp sound of hooves hitting the paved path sounded in the village as Gawain made his way through the streets.

On the way, he recognized a smithy; it was good, Bryce's lance was getting old and having it break in the middle of a battle would not do. Next to the smithy, there was bookshop; at least Gawain thought so upon seeing books of various colors and sizes on display. There were a few magical tomes too, he found out.

A bell rang nearby, and all four horses' ears jerked up, startled by the loud sound. Gawain stroked their muzzles to soothe them, whispering to them until they stopped neighing nervously. Patting his own stallion's neck, the tall Rider turned around, curious as to where the metallic sound had come from. His answer came quickly when people began to flow out of the little church he hadn't noticed was on the left side of the street; he had been busy observing the right side. On closer inspection, though, the church wasn't all that small: it had been built in length rather than in width, and the elegant columns told Gawain that it was probably a small temple, and not a church.

The chatting mass of people, mainly citizens but with a few priests among them too, was coming his way. Gawain tugged on the reins to make the horses step out of the way, but he had underestimated the stealth and speed of a pack of humans, and soon they were around him. The Rider wasn't all that bothered, but now there wasn't enough space for him to manage four horses in the street.

However Gawain tried to step through, stopping every ten seconds in order to avoid bumping into other people. His snail-like progression finally irritated him; he was tired, he was hungry, his muscles felt sore and his patience was wearing thin. He just stopped and decided to wait until the path was clear once again. Now unmoving, standing with two horses on either side of him, Gawain took his time to really look at the passers-by. He couldn't help but notice some of them were giving him strange looks, or whispering among them. Had they recognized him? Or were they just wondering what the hell a man could be doing here, holding four imposing warhorses in the middle of a street?

_I wonder if they were even warned we would come, _Gawain mused absently. _Scratch that. I wonder if they _even _know they are in danger. _

The young man felt the horses shifting behind him, probably worried by the crowd. They weren't used to seeing so many people at once, unless they were in a battle, and if they were in a battle then the lack of their respective Rider's comforting weight on their back was making them nervous.

"Hush," Gawain said firmly, turning to face them. "Stay still. I know you all need to rest, I do too, but just wait a few minutes more." He took the reins in one hand to reach up and scratch the horses' ears. The animals let themselves be soothed by Gawain's reassuring strokes, and they neighed peacefully. "Good boys. And girl," he chuckled, petting Petrine's mare. "There, stay calm, I think we can go now."

The street was a little bit less crowded, and Gawain turned around to resume searching. However, he didn't even take a step before he bumped into something that was standing right behind him. When it gave a yelp, however, Gawain figured out that it was someone, and not something. "Ouch… sorry," he apologized, opening the eyes he didn't know he had closed.

And what a sight he would have missed if he had kept them closed; a young woman was standing in front of him. The first thing he noticed was that she was a priestess, or a healer, because she was wearing the telltale white robes. The other thing he noticed was that she had beautiful blue eyes. Her deep blue hair looked soft, and her sheepish smile was kind of cute, but her eyes were just mesmerizing. Gawain almost forgot he had senses right then until she spoke up. "No, it's my fault, I shouldn't have been standing so close," she apologized softly.

Gawain scratched the back of his head. "Well, I turned too fast…"

"It's my fault anyway, I wasn't looking," they echoed together. Both fell silent, then they chuckled lightly.

"Talk about a way to meet someone," Gawain smiled good-naturedly. "I didn't even get to say hello."

The young woman giggled. "Indeed," she nodded. Then she looked up at him quizzically. "I don't think I ever saw you here in Toska. Are you new here?"

"Well, yes and no," the Rider answered, fidgeting with the reigns. "I did just arrive, that's true, but I'm only staying for a few days, I'm not settling down here."

The woman's beautiful eyes lit up. "Oh, you're a traveller then?"

"Well, I…" Gawain thought fast; he didn't want to lie to her about his social status, it wouldn't be fair, but he didn't know which country she was from. Begnion people tended to despise the Riders of Daein, and, although he didn't know why exactly, Gawain just couldn't have her hating him. There was something about this woman that he just couldn't identify just yet. "Well, you could put it that way, yes." He thanked Ashera he wasn't wearing his combat gear right then. "By the way, my name is Gawain."

She smiled and put a lock of dark blue hair behind her ear. "Mine is Elena," she told him.

_Elena. Daein ring. She's from Daein, _Gawain thought, relieved. Now he felt bad about lying to her, although it wasn't a real lie. He tried to make it up by complimenting her. "That's a pretty name, it suits you well," he said truthfully. When she blushed a little, he smiled. She really was kind of cute.

"So," she began again, fiddling with one white sleeve. "You seemed a bit lost, so I wondered if I could help you."

"That would be great," the Rider smiled thankfully. "Actually, do you know where I could find a stable for my and my companions' horses? They are tired and I don't think they will hold on much longer."

Elena smiled and reached out to stroke Rakham's soft nostrils. "They do look exhausted. I actually know somebody who may help you, his house is near mine. He's got a nice stable and even a little field for his horse, I'm sure he won't mind."

Gawain nodded his thanks. "Could you lead me to him? If that's not too much trouble…"

"Not at all," she assured him with a smile. "I was going home anyway, so it's no problem at all. This way."

She surprised him when she took his free wrist to lead him through the streets. The contact of her soft skin upon his rough one was something new to Gawain, and he let her lead the way.

By the time they arrived there, Gawain had learnt quite a lot of things on Elena; she was actually a healer working at the temple, and she lived with her parents. Her father was a lumberjack and her mother was a baker; she was an only child, just like him. Gawain was however surprised to learn that she was twenty year-old.

_Only three years younger than me… she looks so much younger, _Gawain thought to himself, his eyes trailing along Elena's body involuntary. She was at least one foot shorter than him, and she was pleasantly thin; not downright skinny, just thin. He would have gladly spent more time gazing at her other curves, but he felt like he was invading in on her privacy, so he adverted his eyes.

"And you?"

The sudden question threw him off guard. "What about me?" he asked, stammering a little.

Elena smiled kindly. "I spent all this time talking about myself, you must be feeling left out. Tell me, where are you from?"

"I'm from Nevassa," Gawain told her. "I was born and brought up there."

"Nevassa? That's quite far… are your parents still living there?" the young healer inquired politely.

Gawain's smile faltered a little. "My father does, at least I think so. But Mother died when I was but a child. I don't remember her too well."

On impulse, Elena slowed and touched Gawain's hand that was holding the reigns. "Sorry for asking," she apologized.

"It's alright, you didn't know," the Rider smiled. "And it's not like talking about it will make it worse."

"True."

The next minutes were spent in uncomfortable silence, both too nervous to strike up a conversation again. Night was slowly beginning to settle in; Gawain figured his friends had found rooms and food, and he would soon be joining them.

"We are here," Elena finally announced.

_Here _was a small row of four houses in the middle of the village. They had been built all around a little square with a horse-shaped fountain in the middle. Teenagers were chatting near the fountain; one of them pointed at Gawain and they began whispering among them.

The Rider ignored them; he was used to being stared at, after all he knew he looked imposing, and the four horses he was leading were bound to attract attention. The young man just kept talking with Elena, who led him to an old waving man who was standing near one of the houses, watering plants.

It turned out Mr. Hettwon, the owner of the stable, was more than eager to provide shelter for the four horses. The kind gray-haired old man loved horses, that much Gawain could tell, because when he brought up the question of payment the man waved the idea away. He was already too happy to have four handsome warhorses staying in his stable, and to help him out. The old man told Gawain to relax, and that the horses would be well taken care off.

"I'll come back tomorrow morning to tend to them, don't worry," the brown-haired warrior told Hettwon, who was leading him out of the stable by the arm.

"Tssk tssk, young one, don't mention it," the man answered as Elena giggled. "I'll take care of everything, I owe gentle miss Elena that much for helping me. Besides, you look like a nice lad, and it's written somewhere that we elders have to help people like you."

"Are you sure you won't-"

"Young one, you better get out of here before things get nasty," Hettwon grinned, pushing Gawain outside despite the Rider's physical protests to stay in the stable. "Come by tomorrow if you want, but I can assure you they will be fine."

Gawain sighed. "Fine, thank you sir," he smiled at least. "Good evening to you."

"Good evening, lad, and you too Elena," the old man nodded. "It's getting dark, you should head home before good ol' Marcus comes looking for you. Might want to ask this young one here if he can walk you back."

"Mr. Hettwon," Elena smiled softly, but a soft hint of pink tinted her cheeks. "You know that I live near here, don't you? I'll be alright."

"Fine, fine. Goodnight, young ones."

Elena and Gawain waved to him and walked back in the small square. Night had fallen and a few stars could be seen in the darkening blue sky; the teenagers from earlier were gone.

"Sometimes he's a little strange, but he's really sweet," Elena explained to him. "He really has a big heart and he's always willing to help. I take care of him and his sons whenever they get sick, although now it's mostly him since his sons are grown-up and left home."

"Oh, alright." Gawain fell silent, not knowing what else he could say, when he realized they were standing next to the fountain and it was really getting dark.

Elena seemed to realize that too. "Well, goodnight then, you probably have to go back to your companions," she smiled.

Gawain felt gallant right then. "You helped me find shelter for the horses, the least I could do is walk you back home," he offered. "I owe you that much."

Elena blushed, but thankfully it was too dark for the man to see. "Why not," she agreed.

She giggled when Gawain bowed and offered her his arm. "Perhaps the young lady might want to lead the way, since I have no idea where she lives," he grinned.

Elena chuckled and gingerly took his arm. "It's right over there, kind sir, if you would just please follow me."

Gawain laughed and let her tug on his arm. The two of them made their way over to a cream-colored – at least Gawain thought so, but in the dark he couldn't be sure - house in the corner of the small square. The lights were on and shone through the closed windows.

The young man walked the healer to the portal of a low white fence. "Thanks again for the stable," he told her when they stopped walking. "It was really nice of you."

"You're welcome," she smiled back.

The way they talked, the way they smiled at each other, you'd think they'd known one another for a few years at least.

"Well, goodnight then," Elena said, opening the portal. When the lock clicked, however, a bark rang into the night and a white blur came running up to her. "Malabar! Hush don't be so loud," she giggled, reaching down to scratch the big dog's ears. The barks were reduced to happy doggy panting. "You were that worried for me? You're such a sweetie." Elena stopped stroking the dog to look up at Gawain. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I guess so, this village isn't too big so it's likely we will run into each other again. I just hope it won't be literally that time," he chuckled. He scratched Malabar's ears when the dog extended his head to sniff at Gawain's leg. "And I'll check up on the horses too, so it's safe to assume we will see each other again."

Gawain probably couldn't see it in the dark, but he felt it all the same; Elena's smile was radiant. "I hope so! Goodnight, then, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

The knight didn't know why he waited until she had entered the house and closed the door. He just did.

* * *

"Well I wouldn't be throwing your things around if you hadn't opened _your _pack on _my _bed, you moron!"

"This is my bed too, in case you forgot, I'm going to sleep here too! Not that I enjoy it, mind you."

"Not that I'd expect you too!" Bryce hissed between clenched teeth at Tauroneo. He waved his boxer shorts in one hand to emphasis his point. "And why do I get to sleep with you, of all people!"

"Because this room only has two medium-sized beds, and Petrine said she didn't want to sleep in the same bed as you."

"Then go sleep with her! I'd rather sleep with Gawain than you!"

At this Tauroneo looked outraged. "I've got a fiancée! I won't sleep with another girl!"

Gawain chose that moment to step in, breaking the argument. His two friends looked up at him, Tauroneo kneeling on the bed unfastening his pack, and Bryce standing next to the bed with one hand on his hip and the other waving his boxer around. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," the eldest Rider mocked. "Found a stable in Crimea or what?"

The blue-eyed fighter shrugged. "Is there any food left?"

"Yeah, on the table. You get to sleep with Petrine."

"Mhmm mh."

Gawain walked over to the small table and plucked one apple from the basket there. Then he plopped down on the side of the free bed his pack had been settled on and took a bite of his favorite fruit.

Tauroneo blinked; he had expected Gawain to laugh and tease them about the fact that he was getting to spend the night with a pretty woman and not them, but he had been proven wrong. "Gawain?"

"What?" the Rider said, munching.

"You're sleeping with Petrine."

"Yeah I know, I heard you the first time." Gawain took another bite and munched. "You've already got someone and we know Bryce would try something, so I'm not surprised she chose me. She know I'm not interested." He kicked off his boots and lied back on the bed, with one arm behind his head. _I wonder if she said that to be polite or if she really wants to see me tomorrow. She looks so nice, too… _Fidgeting with the core of the apple, he gazed absently at the ceiling, idly wondering if she would be wearing something other than her white robes. He was sure she'd look nice in a simple dress…

Tauroneo and Bryce were looking at their companion quizzically, their previous argument about Tauroneo's things flying around completely forgotten.

It wasn't like Gawain to shut them out and just relax. Normally the knight would have been yelling at them to clean up the mess they had made, whining over the small share of food they had left him, teasing Petrine to no end, but just not… this. Something had happened.

Tauroneo's eyes took on a knowing glint and he smirked. "So… what's her name?"

The apple core flew and hit Tauroneo's forehead. "None of your damn business!" came from the other bed.

The eldest Rider laughed. "I knew it!" he boasted. "So what's her name?"

"How does she look?" Bryce inquired.

"Where does she live?"

"Is she pretty?"

"What's her job?"

"Is her dad a tall and muscled meanie?" He gained one strange look from Tauroneo. "What? That's important too."

"That's not, no matter how strong her father is, Gawain can take him on easily," the other man said. "If he objects, of course."

Bryce waved his finger. "It's not nice to beat up your girlfriend's father."

"Well, there are things that have to be done and this is one of them."

"I wonder how Jasmine ended up with you."

The two Riders started bickering again, and clothes began to fly around once more. Gawain sighed and tuned them out, settling on his side. He'd just let Petrine fry their bottoms when she came back from wherever she had gone to.

He closed his eyes, with only one thought in mind.

_I can't wait until tomorrow. _


	3. His battle

**Only seven days to go! Radiant Dawn in-coming! **

**Chapter Three**

The sun was just settling when the first rays of light shone their way through the window of the cosy inn.

Tauroneo groaned; trust Bryce with closing the curtains, and you'll get awoken by sunlight. Just great. He gave his sleeping partner a slight kick in the leg.

"What was that for?" Bryce yawned lazily.

"For slapping me twice, snoring, kicking me once on the groin, and forgetting to close the curtains," Tauroneo snapped back, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

Bryce, who was still half asleep as of yet, just blinked as a chuckle came from the other bed. "Sounds like you had a fun night, Tauro," Petrine smirked, inching the sheets up just below her chin and snuggling into her pillow like some sort of cat. "I had more fun with Gawain."

Tauroneo just smirked, but Bryce's eyebrows shot up so fast that all thought of sleep flew his mind in a matter of seconds. He almost choked as he asked: "What did you two do?"

"Well, I woke up in the middle of the night and I was cold," she said maliciously, nearly purring. "So I cuddled up to him to keep warm, one thing led to another and…"

The two men were hanging onto her words, Tauroneo eager, Bryce anxious. "And?"

"And he told me to get my mind out of the gutter and to go back to sleep."

Tauroneo barked out a laugh, falling flat on his back on the bed. The younger man, however, heaved out a discreet but relieved sigh. "I was cold too," he pouted. "We could have switched beds, I wouldn't have minded cuddling up with you."

"Keep dreaming, Bryce," Petrine smirked. The Rider growled but fell silent.

When Tauroneo's laughter calmed down, he sat back up. "Anyway, where's Gawain?"

"He got up at dawn," Petrine yawned. "He said he wanted to look around a bit and do his morning training."

Tauroneo scratched his chin, seeming to be in deep thoughts. His female colleague gave him an odd look; it wasn't like Tauroneo to actually settle down and think. Petrine even doubted the thing had a brain to begin with; of course she told him so every chance she got, and she was about to do just that when he beat her to it. "Haven't you noticed how strange he acts? I mean, he didn't yell at us for the mess yesterday, he didn't whine about the lack of food, he woke up early… do you reckon he may really like her?"

Bryce nodded. "No mistaking."

"Ah," the oldest Rider sighed dramatically. "Love at first sight…"

"What the hell are you two talking about? Wait," the woman corrected herself quickly. "On second thoughts, I don't want to know."

Petrine stretched and pushed the covers off of her body. She sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed at her purple eyes to ward off sleep. Whereas Tauroneo got up to look for his clothes, Bruce just sat cross-legged on the bed, his gaze lingering on Petrine's slender body. He _really_wouldn't have minded cuddling up with her, she was so appealing… of course, every time he made a comment on the way she looked, the way she smiled – even if it wasn't often, she did – the only thanks he got was a punch or a kick. Why did he keep on trying? Even Bryce himself didn't know.

There was a sudden "bang" and the door flew open. "Rise and shine!" Gawain said as he waltzed in. "It's a beautiful day outside, you can't sleep until noon!"

Tauroneo, who was hopping on one foot to pull on his boots, groaned. "Gawain, don't do that! I could have been naked, for Ashera's sake!" he hissed.

"Well, I know you wouldn't undress while Petrine's in the room," the fair-eyed Rider countered cheerfully – _too_cheerfully, Bryce noted.

Tauroneo growled, but he had to admit that Gawain was right. "Well, she already saw me naked anyway, remember that time by Gallia with the quicksand…"

"Please don't remind me!" Petrine interrupted him, covering her eyes with both of her hands. "I'm already scarred enough as it is, don't twist the knife, please."

Gawain laughed. "Well, it could have been worse, Bryce could have been the one falling in the quicksand."

"Shut up Gawain!" Bryce roared, more embarrassed than angry when his three "friends" laughed out. "What is up with you anyway? Last night you were almost sulking, and now you're all smile and happiness! What has gotten into you? Why are you acting like that?"

Gawain shrugged, his laughter dying down. "I slept well, it's sunny outside and we only have to look around a bit. For me, it's a break from all the fighting we are usually assigned to, don't you think?"

Petrine vaguely nodded, but Tauroneo and Bryce exchanged one knowing look. Before either of them could tell Gawain just how he saw this as a vacation, he spoke up. "Well, get up and eat something, I'll be at the market interrogating people, see you at lunch?" And before they could answer, he was out the door.

"Yeah," Bryce nodded to himself. "He definitely likes her."

* * *

The crowd of the previous day was nothing compared to the chatting mass of moving people in the market. Between shouts and bursts of laughter, men were running by with boxes and women with baskets full of vegetable or fruit.

Gawain had to be extra careful to avoid colliding with people who were speeding by and hadn't noticed him standing here, all the while searching the crowd for the face he wanted to see.

To be truthful, he wasn't even sure he'd find her here. He hadn't even expected to find a market in the street when he walked out of the inn that morning. He just felt it was worth a try; it was better than patrolling around with no real purpose anyway, after all there was no need to interrogate people, the Riders had been sent to the Frontier Lands to prevent Begnion from attacking the place, their mere presence was supposed to be enough of a threat to dissuade the biggest Beorc nation from sending troops to conquer the Lands – the Four Steadfast Riders of Daein were quite famous in Begnion, and, thankfully, Begnion people also tended to find them a bit frightening.

Gawain was brought out of his thoughts when something dark blue caught the corner of his eyesight; indeed, Elena was there. She looked stunning too, with her soft dark hair swaying in the morning slight wind, and her pale purple dress that hugged her frame better than a sheath would fit its sword.

_I need to work on my metaphor skills, _Gawain mused idly as he watched her walk. _That basket she carries looks heavy… I wonder if… oh well, one way or another…_

The broad-shouldered man jogged over to Elena. He was about to make his presence known when she turned around by herself. When she saw him, her features broke into a kind smile. "Good morning, sir Gawain," the young woman greeted cheerfully, shifting her basket so it rested upon her hip.

"Good morning, _miss_Elena," the Rider mock-sighed, and she chuckled. "I thought I stated my name is just Gawain, now, didn't I?"

"All right, Just Gawain," Elena replied, smiling. "What brings you out there on this fine morning?"

The way she was holding her basket, and the spark of kindness in her blue eyes made Gawain's features soften into a smile. "Why, my everlasting need to be useful, what else?" He didn't know why he felt like he was melting inside, just looking at her, but he thought he could hide it better behind a mask of playfulness. "Out there I did come and, Goddess forbids, what did I see? A fair maiden, carrying such a load. You just have to let me help you bring it home."

Elena laughed; he was so sweet, she had never met such a pleasant traveller before – not to mention that good-looking either. She felt a small burst of something deep down in her guts, and its warmth reminded her of a similar feeling she had gotten the day before when he had offered to walk her home.

"All right, I entrust you with my precious carrots and shining apples, fair knight," she chuckled, handing him the basket.

Gawain took the load from her – indeed it was a bit heavy – and nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "This is a great honor, milady."

They nodded courteously and looked at each other silently for a few seconds, before they dissolved into chuckles.

"She looks very nice," Tauroneo stated out of the blue.

"Aren't you engaged, you pervert?" Bryce taunted, before he took a good look at Elena. "Actually you're not half-wrong. Maybe just a little too short."

"She's not: you just think she is short because she's standing next to Gawain."

The two Riders kept arguing from where they were sitting near the inn. Bryce was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed over his chest, his reddish auburn hair gleaming under the sun, while Tauroneo was leaning against the wall and resting his right foot on Bryce's chair. Dressed as they were, with plain pants and shirts, they could be easily mistaken for travellers just having a break and watching the market. Who would know?

"Well," Tauroneo sighed as he racked one hand through his chestnut hair. "Aren't we supposed to look around for information?"

"We're looking around right now," Bryce shrugged.

"Well, yes, but not for information."

Bryce shook his head. "I do. Say, do you think that girl over there has someone?"

Tauroneo growled and swatted his younger friend upside the head. "You dork! We are-" The eldest Rider consequently lowered his voice when a man walked by and gave him a strange glance. "We're Riders, for Goddess' sake! We are meant to protect the place so please stop acting like some crazed teenager!"

While Bryce began muttering under his breath, Tauroneo just sighed again and went back to watching the crowd. He seriously doubted there were spies or soldiers from Begnion among them, but then, one could never be too sure.

Meanwhile Gawain and Elena were out of the market and on their way to Elena's house. The blue-eyes man was carrying her basket as he told her how he had found his horse, Rakham.

"And that guy said he would never be tamed, what a joke," Gawain said. "I brought him home and I mounted him within two weeks."

Elena looked amazed. "You really have a way with horses."

"Yes, I've lived near horses since I was a toddler. My father had a horse but she died when… let's not go there," he caught himself quickly. When she gave him a quizzical look, he tried to come up with some excuse but just said lamely: "I don't like to talk about it, I liked her very much."

Elena nodded and asked no further question. Gawain was glad for that; he didn't want to explain how his father had killed the young mare to punish him. Because then he would have had to tell her how cruel his father could be, and he really didn't want to go into details.

"Hey, Elena!" a clear voice rang out.

The priestess turned around and smiled. "Vani! How are you? I thought you wouldn't come back for another week!"

"I thought too! But Shi got sick so we came back home early." A young woman with long blond hair held in a ponytail and smiling green eyes came up to them. She then took notice of Gawain standing beside Elena. "And who might that be? Your boyfriend?" she asked with a glint of hope in her eyes.

Elena flushed uneasily. "No, he's not. This is Gawain, a traveller from Daein. Gawain, this is Vani, my best friend."

"Hello!" Vani shook Gawain's outstretched hand enthusiastically. "My husband is a traveller too!"

"That's… nice," the Rider answered, not knowing what to say. The woman couldn't be much older than Elena, two or three years separated them at the most. "Nice to meet you," he added politely.

The three of them resumed walking to Elena's house. With the two young women chatting happily about Vani's latest trip, Gawain didn't feel like cutting into their conversation so he just walked with them, basket in hand.

However, just as they neared the small fountain and Malabar began barking cheerfully, a cold feeling washed over Gawain. He jerked his head up and looked around quickly; nothing was amiss in the area. Nevertheless, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that something was off.

Frowning, Gawain sped up to catch up to Elena and Vani, who were chatting by the house's fence. Fortunately, they hadn't noticed he had zoned out for a few seconds, so he put on a casual smile and willed his paranoia away.

"Sorry Gawain," Elena apologized sheepishly while she took her basket back, nodding her thanks. "Vani is very talkative, it's hard to block her out."

"Now why would you want to do that?" the other woman replied, smirking. When Elena's cheeks were painted a slight pink, Vani elbowed her. "I knew it!"

Gawain, who had gone back to looking around, was startled by the sudden tone of voice. "What are you-"

His voice was drowned out by a scream and a bell being rung with panic.

"What's that?" Gawain winced when his eardrums were brutally assaulted.

Elena looked frightened. "This bell is supposed to ring whenever the village is under attack!" she explained hurriedly, unconsciously looking around to find the source of turmoil.

Gawain widened his eyes a little and was about to tell the frightened women something when somebody roared his name. He turned around to see Tauroneo running up to him. "We're under attack!" the older Rider panted, apparently having run a long way. "There are about fifty men near the southern entrance of the village, Petrine and Bryce are already there to slow them down, quick let's grab the horses!"

"Understood!" Gawain nodded.

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked, overwhelmed by confusion and fright.

_Shit… she still thinks I'm a mere traveller… _"I'll explain everything to you as soon as this battle ends! For now just lock yourselves up somewhere, both of you! Just hide!" The two women didn't need to be told twice; they made a beeline for Elena's house.

It took Gawain and Tauroneo a few powerful strides to reach the stable their horses were in. The animals nickered nervously when the two men rushed inside. Gawain immediately grabbed a saddle that was resting on a stool, only to be stopped by Tauroneo.

"Forget the saddle! The harness will be enough!" the Rider instructed as he grabbed his own stallion and Petrine's black mare. Before he mounted his horse, he threw a sheath at Gawain. "Here's your sword, forget the armor, just put the inner chain mail! _Now_!"

Gawain messily grabbed Bryce's horse's reins and climbed atop his own mount. He threw his chain mail on and strapped Ragnell to his back. "Let's go!" he shouted as he firmly nudged his horse forward. The black stallion neighed a little but eventually set off running at a quick pace, out of the stable and into the streets, Tauroneo in close pursuit.

Few people could be found remaining outside; everyone had locked themselves up at home or somewhere else, wishing the soldiers of Begnion just wanted to scare them as they had done a few months before. Gawain double-checked to be sure nobody would find themselves in the middle of the fight as his horse's hooves hit the paved path soundly. The sound of metal hitting metal could be heard ahead, and Gawain urged him horse on.

Bryce and Petrine were fending off soldiers near the main entrance of the village. The two Riders were back to back, and their spears clashed with swords and punctured red armors. Excepted for a small slash along Bryce's cheek, they weren't wounded.

Gawain took the reins with one hand and reached around his shoulder to grab the hilt of his blessed sword. He unsheathed Ragnell swiftly and sent a powerful wave of wind magic right into Begnion troops. The soldiers scattered, which allowed Tauroneo and Gawain to reach Bryce and Petrine.

"At last! I was beginning to think we would have to take them on by ourselves!" Bryce exclaimed as he jumped onto his stallion's back and grabbed the reins, wiping the blood on his cheek with the back of his hand.

"Just shut up and fight!" Tauroneo roared angrily.

About ten Begnion soldiers began running up to them, shouting war cries, their spears at the ready.

"Come on, Riders of Daein!" Gawain exclaimed, poising his sword and nudging his stallion into a full-fledged gallop toward the running troops. His three companions shouted and ran after him, right into the fight.

The enemy was reduced to twenty soldiers in about fifteen minutes. Ten halberdiers, five swordmasters and five paladins. There was also some cloaked guy that was either a priest or a mage. At first they had been laughing at the outnumbered four knights who had been naïve enough to challenge them all, but now they looked like they wanted to run away. They would not voluntary fight them, so the Riders had to jump over corpses laying everywhere to get to them.

From the corner of his eye, Gawain saw the five remaining paladins rush into the village. "I'll take care of them! Just deal with the ones that are still here!" he announced as he spun his horse around and sent him galloping back into the village. His eyes were focused on the five horses' running forms, and he could hear nothing but their exhausted neighs and the tapping of their hooves on the ground.

Soon they screeched to a halt; they were in the small place with the fountain and Elena's house, and it was a dead end. Gawain stopped his horse too, his sword at the ready. The paladins exchanged terrified and panicked looks; although their weapons were drawn and pointed at Gawain, they were shaking. They were exhausted and bleeding, and the Rider only suffered from a few scratches on his arms and face.

"A-Are you even human?!" one of the paladins, fairly young by the sounds of it, trembled.

"Who knows," Gawain said calmly. "Now, I'd rather you fight like men, it would be-"

There was a loud explosion from somewhere to Gawain's right. Startled, his horse neighed loudly and reared up brutally, standing tall. The lack of a saddle kept the warrior from staying upright and he eventually fell down to the ground with a surprised shout, Ragnell landing a few feet away from him.

The paladins never wasted this chance to escape: they took off running as soon as they could. Gawain jumped to his feet when he realized they were about to get away, but as he picked up his sword and looked around for his stallion, his eyes fell upon something that made his heart leap.

The house was on fire, probably the result of a powerful Elfire spell. It was burning from the first floor up to the roof, and from what Gawain could see the windows had been smashed to pieces by the explosion. The trees in the garden were being devoured by flames too, but more importantly: it was Mr. Hettwon's house. And Gawain had learnt from Elena that the old man almost never left his house.

Damn! What should he do? He'd normally try to find the mage, dispose of him before he could cast more spells and then take care of the burning house. But he couldn't just leave an old man to die in his house!

"We took down those paladins for you, didn't think they could beat you," Tauroneo said as he came up to him. Gawain turned around to see Bryce and Petrine trotting that way too. "What happened here?"

"Later! Petrine, go look for the mage who's throwing fire spells! Bryce and Tauroneo, tell people to leave their houses and gather somewhere safe!" Gawain ordered quickly.

"What about you?" Bryce wondered, a bit overwhelmed.

But Gawain was already gone.

The broad-shouldered man was running with all of his might to the burning house. When he pushed the half-burnt door open, it collapsed noisily to the ground. Gawain coughed when he breathed in the heavy smoke coming from inside, and he had to squint to shield his eyes from the burning air. _I have to find him, _he thought to himself.

A few minutes later, Tauroneo was gathering people around the fountain. "Please keep your children close and don't move too much!" he shouted loud enough to be heard over the roasting burning. "My colleagues are taking care of the other villagers so don't be scared, they are safe." When there were mumbles of acknowledgment in the crowd, Tauroneo sighed and turned to Mr. Hettwon's burning house. _We'd better put that fire out before it spreads out to the whole village_. A worried frown settled on his features. _Damn it, Gawain, hurry up! _

Five more minutes. Gawain still hadn't come out. Now Tauroneo began to worry about his younger friend; he was startled out of his thoughts when someone touched his arm, but it was just Petrine.

"I took care of the little bastard, he set three other houses on fire further down the street," she told him. "Bryce and the other villagers went to get water from the river, I come with the wounded. How are things on your side?"

"We only have someone who was slightly burnt, but nothing to worry about," the Rider filled her in quickly. The person in question happened to be the young woman Gawain had been talking to that morning, but she would be fine once her hand would be bandaged. "But Gawain's got me worried, he rushed in that house ten minutes ago and hasn't come back since then."

Petrine frowned and looked at the house. Its roof had collapsed and one wall, black and charred, looked ready to crumble. "I think I'll go in and-"

"Look! Something is moving on the first floor!" a boy shouted, pointing.

Everybody looked at the house, and sure enough, there seemed to be shadows moving behind the smashed up windows. At first Tauroneo thought they were just flames, but then it began taking on a human shape; next thing he knew, Gawain had jumped through the destroyed window. The Rider landed roughly on the ground on his side, clutching something to his chest.

Tauroneo and Petrine ran to him; the female Rider swatted at her friend to put out the fire that had spread on his clothes and Tauroneo rolled him on his back. "Gawain, do you hear me?" he prompted, concern etched across his face.

"How is he?" the bruised man panted. "Please tell me he's all right…"

Tauroneo wondered for a few seconds what Gawain meant, but then he realized the thing the other man was holding to his chest was actually Mr. Hettwon himself. Or what remained of him, at least: the old man's skin was burnt more than could be possible, but on top of that, he was completely lifeless. Literally. "Gawain," Tauroneo said sadly. "I think he is dead."

"You're mistaken, he can't be dead." Gawain ignored Petrine who was fretting over his many burns and lay the man down on his back, refusing to admit Tauroneo was right. But there was no denying the lack of life in the corpse's cloudy eyes. "He can't be dead," Gawain muttered under his breath again, as if he didn't believe it.

"Stay still, my friend, you're bleeding," Tauroneo ordered gently, brushing Gawain's hair away to get a clear look at a small gash on the man's skull. "It seems you bumped your head into something."

But the blue-eyed warrior shook his head and sat up, albeit groggily. "I'm fine," he stated, but his voice wavered slightly. He tried to swat at Tauroneo's hands that were trying to prop him up. "You don't need to worry about me, worry about him instead," he growled.

Tauroneo frowned. "I remember you saying something along the lines of "there's no use worrying over the dead, they are safer than the wounded" not so long ago." When Gawain stayed silent, his friend's glare softened. "You did everything you could to save him, you put your life on the line for this man's. But he's dead, Gawain, and there's nothing you can do about it now." The eldest Rider raised his head to see Bryce rushing to the burning house with at least forty villagers. All were carrying buckets filled to the brim with water, which they promptly threw on the raging fire to put it out. The villagers who had been under Tauroneo's care until then went to assist them in their task. "We can bury him later, for now let's help everyone, come on."

It took one hour and dozens of buckets of water to get rid of the fire. Mr. Hettwon's house had been reduced to a giant pile of ashes by the time the last flame died. Elena's house, that stood beside the charred remains of Mr. Hettwon's, also bore some burnt scars on its walls, as well as the house on the other side. But it was nothing compared to the gaping blackened hole between them.

Mr. Hettwon was properly buried in the afternoon. He had no family in the village, not by blood anyway, but everyone came to say goodbye to the old kind man. The Four Riders gave them time to grieve, but they had to make him understand that there were more pressing matters: namely cleaning up the village, and taking care of the wounded.

"How do you feel now?" Tauroneo questioned as he crouched down by Gawain, who was sitting on the edge of the fountain. "Still dizzy?"

"It's getting better," he nodded as he absently fingered the white bandage encased around his head. "But I still feel like I was stomped over by a horse. Do you need anymore help?"

The tall Rider shook his head. "No, friend. Just rest. Night will soon have fallen, and we just need to establish where the people who got their houses burnt down will sleep tonight. We agreed that Bryce, you and I will help here while Petrine goes to Nevassa to report on what happened. Are you fine with that?" Gawain nodded. "Good. As soon as you feel up to it, go to our room at the inn and sleep, you need it." With that, Tauroneo got up and went to have a quick talk with Petrine before she departed.

Gawain scratched at the offending bandage once more and looked around. Everybody had already gone to their houses, or to the place where they would spend the night. He figured he might as well follow their lead, and he got up with a wince. Something made him turn his head to Hettwon's grave one last time before he went to sleep, and he saw someone standing here, alone. Elena.

He hadn't seen her since the beginning of the battle, hours ago. Tauroneo had informed him that she had been burnt, but nothing serious, really. When he had asked about her whereabouts, he had been told that she was taking care of the wounded with her friend, Vani.

The young woman had her eyes downcast; she didn't see Gawain as he approached her quietly. But she didn't jump when he came to stand next to her. "I'm sorry," he told her softly, ignoring the headache he was getting from just being on his feet. "I wasn't able to save him." Second thoughts made him add: "And I'm sorry about lying to you. I'm not a traveller, I'm a Rider of Daein, and my three companions are too. Our presence here was supposed to be a secret in case Begnion chose to attack, which they did. If that hadn't been the case, I would have told you the truth."

"You didn't have to lie," Elena whispered, her eyes never leaving the gravestone upon which Hettwon's name had been carved. "But I understand. You don't need to apologize for that. Nor do you have to blame yourself for his death, it wasn't your fault." Her voice hadn't wavered, but Gawain saw her hands – one of which was encased in white stripes of cloth – clench a little. He resisted the urge to apologize once again and just set to watching the grave with her.

"He taught me to ride a horse, you know?" Gawain was surprised when Elena told him that out of the blue.

"He did?" he asked.

"Yes. I was fourteen at that time, and he taught me. At first I kept on falling but he told me to always get back onto the horse. He said… something was always worth trying for, and nothing was unreachable." Her hand went to her eyes, and Gawain saw her wiping away tears before they had fallen. "He was such a good man." Her first sob sent a knife stabbing through Gawain's heart.

The Rider had never learnt how to deal with a crying woman, so he just went with whatever his mind told him would work; he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and squeezed softly, offering comfort. Elena gladly leaned into the one-armed embrace to put her cheek against his shoulder, and she sobbed quietly for the man who had been a grandfather to her.

Gawain didn't know how much time they spent in that position. It could have been hours, for all he knew; however he did notice night was falling quickly. "We'd better get a good night's sleep, hard work awaits tomorrow." He spared her slightly burnt house a glance. "By the way, how are your parents? I trust they are fine."

"They weren't even there," Elena said as she wiped away some remaining tears. "They left early to Kalkea, another village, to visit my mother's sister."

"You are alone then? I mean," he corrected himself when he realized how that had sounded, "you intend to stay alone tonight? Can't you tell Vani to come over, or just go to her house?"

Elena shook her head. "Her husband is sick. And people who got their home destroyed are already staying at her house, I wouldn't want to intrude."

Gawain thought fast. It really wasn't his problem, but he couldn't bear the idea of Elena sleeping all alone in her home, mere feet away from the place Hettwon had died, and wounded on top of that – even if it was just a small burn. "My friends and I are staying at the inn, and since Petrine went to report to Nevassa we've room enough for someone else. If you don't want to be alone, at least until your parents come back, then why don't you come over? Tauroneo and Bryce are a bit strange but they're not all that bad."

Elena looked up at him. She opened her mouth to tell him that she would be fine, but then she thought about it. A little company would be nice, and even if she didn't know those other two men, she felt that if Gawain could trust them, then so could she. "It would be nice, but… are you sure your friends won't mind?" she asked.

"Don't worry, if anything I am the one they will be bugging. Friendly, of course," he said when he noticed her worried look. At that moment he really took in her tired features, her saddened eyes and her worn-out shoulders slumping down. There was so much running through her head. "Come on, it's night already."

Elena nodded and turned around; when he began walking, she hugged his arm and followed him. Her closeness brought a wave of warmth through the Rider's body; he smiled as he realized that he had done the right thing.

Silence settled all the way to the inn; it wasn't uncomfortable, nor was it soothing, it just was. Gawain held the door open for her and she smiled as she thanked him. They climbed the flight of stairs up to the third floor, and Gawain knocked on the second door to their right.

"Come in," someone said from inside.

The tall man pushed the door open and once again held it for Elena to go in. She did so a little nervously, not really knowing how Gawain's friends would welcome her.

The two men were sitting cross-legged on one of the beds in the room. They had a map lain out on the covers, and a basket of what seemed like fruit resting on the mattress. They both looked up when the door opened, interrupting whatever they were saying before the door was knocked upon.

Elena heard the door close behind her. "Guys," Gawain said, "this is Elena. She will be spending the night with us so she's not alone." When the two men nodded, Elena couldn't help but feel relieved. "Elena, this is Bryce, and that is Tauroneo."

"Good evening," she bid politely, bowing a little.

Tauroneo smiled. "I believe we already met, weren't you the one with the white dog?"

"Oh, yes," Elena answered. "Thanks again for bringing him back." Now she remembered the chestnut-haired man asking her if Malabar was hers. She had been relieved to see that her dog was safe, and she had left him in her garden to watch over the house.

"Well, come you two, and eat before Bryce wolfs everything down," Tauroneo smirked.

"I do not _wolf_food down," the younger man frowned. "And I didn't eat that much."

"You didn't even realize you ate much because you're so worried."

Gawain gently nudged Elena forward, and the two of them sat on the edge of the bed. "Worried about what?" the fair-eyed Rider enquired as he offered an apple to Elena, before taking one for himself.

Tauroneo chuckled. "He fears something is going to happen to Petrine on her trip back to Nevassa. He doesn't seem to understand that she is a Rider too, she can look after herself."

"Is it forbidden to worry about my friend's safety?" Bryce growled.

"Right, your _friend_," Gawain smiled. When his colleague glared, he turned to Elena. "He's too proud to admit that he likes her. And she is too proud to admit that she knows he likes her. They are a bit complicated."

Elena giggled when Bryce hissed at Gawain, who innocently took a bite of his apple.

As the evening went on, Elena had the chance to learn more about Tauroneo, Bryce, and even Gawain. Although Bryce was a bit grumpy at first because of what Gawain said, he relaxed and soon enough he was chatting with the other three. They talked about how life was like in Nevassa, and what they did as Riders. In return, she told them everything she could about living in a village that two nations claimed as theirs.

It was well past midnight when Elena had begun to drift off, idly listening to Tauroneo speaking about his soon-to-be wife. She felt exhausted, and her aching nerves seemed to sigh with relief when her head met the mattress and sleep claimed her slowly.

When the young woman woke up with a start, everything was dark and silent. She tried to sit up but something was restraining her; she looked down to see that what was holding her down were covers, and that she was lying in a bed. Blinking, she turned her head to see another bed with two people sleeping. From the haircuts, she figured they were Tauroneo and Bryce, although the only light came from the moon.

Elena nervously wondered where Gawain had gone, and she had a fairly good idea where he might be. But when she rolled over, she was surprised to find that she was alone in bed. Where was he?

Once again the young healer turned to the other bed, but something white caught her eye and she looked down. A soft smile adorned her lips when she saw Gawain sleeping on the floor right next to her bed, with just a pillow and a white sheet covering his body. He was lying on his back with one hand behind his head and the other resting upon his stomach, which was rising peacefully with each breath he took.

Elena smiled again and lay on her stomach, her chin on the mattress, so she could look at him. To be completely honest with herself, she had to admit that he looked more than cute sleeping like that; moreover, he had chosen to sleep on the floor so she wouldn't be disturbed. He really was kind.

One strand of brown hair fell upon his eye when he moved a little, and Elena reached down to brush it aside so it wouldn't bother him. The small contact made him open his eyes and he lazily glanced up at her. A small smile made its way across his lips. "Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she replied softly.

"You all right?"

The young woman nodded. "Thanks to you."

His hand reached up to hers, that was hanging over the edge of the bed. He gave it a gentle squeeze, but when he released it her fingers moved to intertwine with his, and she kept his hand there. Gawain was a little surprised but he didn't withdraw his hand, he just left it where it was and went back to sleep, the soft skin in contact with his own bringing him comfort and warmth.

Elena waited until sleep had taken hold of Gawain again before she stroked his calloused palm with her thumb. His skin was warm, rough, and overall so real, like an anchor to reality. Elena held his battle-worn hand between her two ones and slowly let sleep take her, wishing the night would never end.


End file.
